 Three ways to talk about the past in English, from espressoenglish.net, how to use the simple past. You can use the simple past for a past state or status, which is not true anymore. For example, last night we were very tired. When I was a child, I lived in Boston. Why weren't you at work yesterday? We can also use the simple past for a single action in the past. For example, last night we watched a movie. I moved to New York in 1988. Yesterday I bought a new jacket. She didn't go to the party last week. When did you get home last night? All of these are examples of single actions in the past. We can also use the simple past for repeated single actions in the past. For example, I studied every day when I was in high school. This talks about a period of time in the past when I was in high school and a repeated single action that happened every day. I studied every day. When we lived in the city, we ate out at restaurants quite often. Again, the simple past, eight, is used for a repeated single action. Now let's look at how to use used to. You can use used to for a past state or status, which is not true anymore. For example, I used to be an engineer, but now I'm a teacher. I used to like rock music, but now I prefer jazz. You can also use the negative form, didn't used to, for something that wasn't true in the past but is true now. For example, she didn't used to be very religious, but now she's a devout Catholic. I didn't used to care about politics, but lately I've been taking an interest. We can also use used to for a repeated action in the past, which you don't do now. For example, I used to play basketball every Friday. Now I don't have time for it though. My dad used to smoke a lot. Fortunately, he quit smoking last year. Use the negative form, didn't used to, for an action you didn't do in the past, but now you do it frequently. For example, we didn't used to watch much TV, but now we have a lot of favorite shows. I didn't used to drink coffee, but now I can't wake up without a cup. The third way to talk about the past is by using would. We can only use would to talk about a repeated action in the past. For example, when I was younger, I would play basketball every weekend. Back when I lived with my brother, we would stay up late playing video games. Do not use would to talk about states or statuses in the past. For example, don't say, I would be an engineer, but now I'm a teacher. That's incorrect, because being an engineer is a state, not an action. In this case, you need to use used to. I used to be an engineer, but now I'm a teacher. Let's review the three ways to talk about the past we learned in this lesson. You can use the simple past in three different ways, for states or statuses in the past, for single actions in the past, or for repeated actions in the past. You can use used to in two ways. Use used to for states or statuses in the past, which are not true today, and use used to for repeated actions in the past, again, which are not true today. We can use the word would to talk about repeated actions in the past only. If you want to learn more about Advanced English Grammar, sign up for the Advanced English Grammar course at espressoenglish.net. This course will help you master the advanced details of the English language, and it also includes personal feedback on your written English. Visit espressoenglish.net to sign up for the Advanced English Grammar course, and take your English from good to great.